Plum Crumble Squares

Stone fruit season is in full swing now - the markets are pouring over with apricots, peaches, nectarines, cherries aaaaand PLUMS!! There's a long tradition of gorgeous plum streusel or crumb cakes in my family: just a nice crust, some juicy plums and a buttery crumble on top is all it takes for summer weekend perfection.

I almost ran into a box of  perfectly ripe plums this week and as I cycled them home a combination of oats and honey to pair up with the sweet fruits came into my mind. It was mid-week so an indulgent crumble cake was out of the question, not only because I like to save it for the more 'special' weekend coffee time yet also because a trip was scheduled for the weekend and a whole cake would have been difficult to enjoy during the drive ;-).

In the end I settled for an all-honey-sweetend bar with the addition of some crunchy oats for a more complex, crunchy texture. The tiny squares consist of a crunchy crust, a juicy cinnamon plum centre and a proper crumble on top - you won't miss the butter, the sugar and neither the additional dollop of whipped cream that would usually accompany the cake. Healthy indulgence - that's my kind of mid-week-cake!

Plum Crumble Squares
- makes 24 squares, about 5x5 cm in size
- 6 plums
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon
- 3/4 cup honey
- 5 dried dates, pitted
- hot water
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 50g Almond Butter, unsweetened
- 170g ground oats
- 1 tsp salt
- 50g oats
- 200g whole wheat flour
- 2 Tbsp whole almonds

1. Wash, halve and pit the plums, then cut them into slices (about 3 mm thick).
Preheat the oven to 160 °C/320 °F. Now mix the plums with two tablespoons of the honey, one tablespoon of the flour and the cinnamon. Set aside.
2. Put the dates into a small bowl (~10cm in diameter) and pour boiled water on top until just covered. Set aside.
3. Now prepare the dough: Mix the whole wheat flour with the ground oats and the salt. Now add in the melted coconut oil, the almond butter, the remaining honey and the beaten eggs. Work the dough with a fork until it comes together. Divide into three parts. Use two thirds to form the crust: roll the dough out, on a parchment lined baking sheet, into a rectangle, about 30x30cm in size and about 3-5mm thick. Top the crust with the prepared plum filling.
4. Roughly mix the remaining dough with the oats and almonds and distribute it into pieces to be sprinkled on top of the plum filling.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the crumb topping is slightly browned and the plum filling is cooked through. Take out and let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes before cutting it into squares. Serve or allow for further cooling before storing it wrapped in aluminium foil or in a box. Enjoy!

Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

Aand here it is - mother's day! Known as the one day where everyone magically turns into a baker, trying to mix up something delicious for the one and only number one in our world: mom!

I've always loved the preperations for this special occasion and can remember the good ol' primary school days when we would spend hours drawing the letters of poems on coloured papers and then give our best to individualize those with all colours available ;-). It was fun!
And the moment you can proudly present mom your present just seeing the smile on her face makes it all worth it (from a childrens point of view).

Nowadays just like Valentine's day I think it's much more important to show your loved one's your appreciation and love on a daily basis, yet I'm always all in when someone asks me for a fail-proof recipe which he or she wants to try out for his or her loved ones. No kidding: this time it has got ALL the essentials: Strawberries, Chocolate and Cheesecake! And for an easy feasting these ingredients come together in form of a light bar - just grab it casually with your hands for pure enjoyment or eat it sophisticatedly from a plate with a fork - your choice or moreover your mother's 'cause you sure want to make these for her (but pssst... don't tell her how easy it actually was ;-)).





These bars have been approved by my whole family, so don't be shy to bring them to a family breakfast, brunch or coffee time tomorrow (or any other day of the year as these taste superb even on "non-mother's-day-days") - no kind of "you've-included-chocolate-and-peanut-butter-in-a-cake-???" kind of moments, I swear!

The base actually looks like a super fudgy brownie and yes, it's deliciously fudgy, yet without all the dense texture we all are well known to, because the base actually consists of a light cake batter with cocoa powder, which is baked until just right! Nevertheless it sure doesn't lack in chocolate taste! Casually swirl some cream cheese on top pre-baking and don't forget a good sprinkle of strawberries (or other fruit/berries of choice) for the fresh accent. Oh, and have I mentioned that these are ready within half an hour? So even if it's mother's day already, I am sure you can still deliver them to your favourite person in the world!

Happy mother's day to everyone out there!




Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
- makes enough for an 8x8inch pan
Chocolate Base:
- 1 and 1/2 cups flour (I used Whole Wheat)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 5 Tbsp dark cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2/3 cup milk
- 2 Tbsp Cream Cheese

Cream Cheese Swirl:
- one packet (125g) Cream Cheese
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp flour

- a handful of strawberries, sliced or cubed for the topping

1. Preheat your oven to 175°C/350°F.
2. Prepare the cream cheese: Beat together the cream cheese, sugar and flour until combined. Set aside.
3. Make the chocolate base: Mix together the flour, salt, sugar, cocoa powder and baking powder. Then stir in the milk and cream cheese. You might need to add 2-3 Tbsp of Milk if your batter is to thick.
4. Pour the batter into a greased or lined pan. Spoon the cream cheese in 6-7 portions on top, then swirl in the cream cheese with a fork so, that it still stays at the surface, but is distributed well.
5. Sprinkle the strawberries on top and press them in slightly. Bake for 20-25 minutes until set in the middle. Remove and let cool before slicing. Enjoy!